


Chapter 3 : I BELIEVE IN YOU

by Myril_Chan



Series: BEFORE DAO [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:53:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26697046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myril_Chan/pseuds/Myril_Chan
Summary: First encounter with bow & sword for the warden & Alistair, with a little help from their friend.The idea behind my Before:DAO series is to tell my Mahariel and Alistair's parallel childhoods. I took inspiration from the real lore to make it as realistic and lore-friendly as possible. All my inspirations and sources are mentionned in the end.This serie is part of my whole fanfic which aims to tell the story of Alistair & warden from their childhood to DAI and maybe further...Comment & (constructive) critics are highly welcome to help me improve my writting.If you have a fanfic on the same themes : please let me know !
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age)
Series: BEFORE DAO [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942735





	1. Ymlaïs'part

9 :20 DRAGON

"Oh, right in the middle! Once again !

Ymlaïs shrugged: "Maybe I was lucky.

"Well, you’re often lucky then! It’s not luck, you’re good!"

The little girl blushed: "Thanks Tamlen. What do you think, we go further ?

The boy looked at the distance and lowered his bow with a pout. "It will be too far for me. You know, I don’t think I can teach you anything more in archery. You’re better than me now. You should come and train with us.

Ymlaïs looked down and said, "I’d love to, but I don’t know if I can... I don’t think the Elders will agree.

"Well let's go talk to them! You’ll show them what you can do ! I’ll come with you if you want. It’s not what _they_ want that matters, it’s what _you_ want!» 

What did she want? That was a very good question. She and Tamlen had been secretly training in the forest for months now, but she never thought it would go any further. 

She has been the apprentice of the halla keeper for two years. It made her very happy first, but after a some moons, she missed her getaways in the woods to follow the trail of animals. Taking care of the hallas required to stay often in the camp. She missed the adventure, the unknown, the effort, the excitement. More and more frequently, when she fed or took care of the hallas, she looked at the forest with nostalgia and she had to fight against an irrepressible desire to run on the paths, to climb the trees, to listen to the noises, to sharpen his gaze when searching for the animals' trail.

And then, there were the other children. Maren had joined her a few moons ago as an apprentice of the halla keeper. She was very nice but so calm, so sweet and serious! Like most of the children who, like them, were trained on _Vir Atish'an_. She began to look with increasing envy at the children who dedicated their learning to _Vir Tanadhal_. As they trained with bow or sword, she heard their laughter, their bluster, their quarrels too.

One evening, returning to her aravel, she passed by the shooting range of the hunters. A child had left his bow. She took it in hand, looked at it. What if she dared? She clumsily notched an arrow, drew the bow holding the arrow as she could and fired. The arrow went to get lost in the thickets.  
"You raised your arm holding the bow at the last moment. Only the hand holding the rope has to move otherwise the arrow goes anywhere. Besides your arrow was badly notched, and not very well maintained" had made a voice in her back. It was Tamlen.

Offended and certain to have been taken at fault, she had responded to him sharply in a surge of pride. But Tamlen did not blame her. On the contrary, he undertook to show her how to improve her skill, that night and the followings. 

Ymlaïs liked Tamlen. He was curious and during the hahren’s lessons he always asked interesting questions. Moreover, he was courageous and just : when a child was mocked, he always intervened.

At his contact, she had changed: she laughed more, took assurance. The two children spent more and more time together. Apart from their secret lessons, they went on getaways in the forest and spent long moments wondering about the world by looking at the stars.

The moments with the hallas seemed less long to the girl who was enthusiastic about the idea of these workouts. She took a lot of pleasure in it and proved to be very gifted. Perhaps too gifted…

« I don't know Tamlen. What will the halla keeper say ? Besides, we need people to take care of the hallas. 

\- But he's got Maren now ! Oh come on, it'll be fun if you join the hunter team. We could be together all day !

\- Sure. But what if I’m not up to the task ? I've never had a proper training by now. 

\- Ah, don't worry, you'll catch up ! You might even surprise everyone. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Junar's face when you'll best him ! 

\- I could never be better than Junar ! 

\- Well, there's only one way to know, right !" He said with a wink.

Ymlaïs looked at her friend, then the tips of her feet as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

« You believe in me so much Tamlen…

\- I do ! I know you can do it ! He took the girl’s hands in his. Hey, you wanna know what I really think ? I think you're special. And I think you _have_ to become a hunter because you'll be the best ! You can't brush hallas and wash their poo for the rest of your life. You deserve better ! 

\- Tamlen !! Being a halla keeper is an honor and a task worthy of respect. It's not a question of doing better or being the best. It's about being...

\- ...Who you are. And you're not made to stay in camp with the hallas. I know it. And you know it too. 

\- I'm scared. 

\- I know but I'll be with you. You're my best friend and I won't let you down. 

\- Am I your best friend ? 

\- Right you are ! 

\- Thank you Tamlen. You're my best friend too. 

\- So you're coming with us ?" 

She looked up and smiled at him.

" Yes. I'm coming." 

The boy’s face shone with a victorious smile.

" Tomorrow morning, we will talk to the keeper."

Then he held her hand and together they got back to the camp. 


	2. Alistair's part

p align="justify">« You there, come and help me with those swords !

\- Y… Yes Ser ! 

\- Here, take those wooden swords over there and bring them back to the armory would you ? 

\- Yes, Ser… I will”.

The boy approached the swords and took one of them in his hand.What a strange feeling.For some time he had become accustomed to watch the knights train in the castle courtyard.He had long observed them wielding weapons with admiration.With this sword in his hand, he felt a little like one of them.

« What’s your name young lad ?

\- Alistair, Ser. 

\- And I’m Ser Donall. Nice to meet you. Tell me Alistair, you seem eager to use that sword. Who’s your mentor ? I assume you’ll be pleased when when he sees fit to start teaching you the art of combat.

\- My mentor ?

\- Yes, the knight who is teaching you. 

\- I don’t have any mentor. 

\- How is it possible for a squire to not have a mentor ? 

\- I’m no squire Ser. I work at the stables. 

\- You’re no squire? But I would have sworn I saw you several times at the workouts. 

\- That’s right, but… I’m just watching. I didn’t mean to bother, Ser. I apologize. If it is a problem I won’t do it anymore.”

The knight looked at the boy and suddenly he knew who he was : the boy whom the Arl had collected and who lived in the kennel. He was a sturdy boy despite his young age, and had indeed observed the fights with certain insight as demonstrated the way he held the sword. No doubt, a boy who worked in a stable under the orders of a man as demanding as Master Dennet and who slept in a kennel must have endurance, courage, humility and a sense of duty. The same could not be said of most of the young noblemen who had spent a comfortable life between the walls of their castle being served and sleeping in pretty sheets .

« Do you still want me to help you to store these swords ?

\- Well, it’s the job of a squire normally, but since I don’t see any, I’m more than happy to accept your help. »

They spent some time tidying up the rest of the training equipment.Alistair put his heart to the work which usually generated sighs and was sloppy.The boy seemed to take the simple fact of being able to carry the equipment – which he took great care of – as an honour. It was enderring.

Ser Donnall, who came from the most modest branch of the Fereldan nobility, had no second thought seeing the young boy, to admit that it was very unfair that blood was put over merit when it was about attaining the rank of knight. Surely, it would be easier to find the required qualities in the common people.

If Alistair had been noble, he would have begun his training as a knight around the same age, and Ser Donall would have considered him a promising recruit.The kind of boy he would have liked as a squire.He suddenly felt the mad urge to break this injustice, for a moment.

« Thank you, Alistair. Here, take this wooden sword and shield and join me in the courtyard.

\- Y…yes, ser. May I ask you why ?

\- You helped me well, you deserve a reward. If you wish, I can show you one or two things to use that sword. Would you like that ? 

\- Oh a lot Ser !"

The boy learned quickly. In addition to being well-built, he was quick and perceptive and obviously took a lot of pleasure in this small training. When suddenly a cry interrupted the exercise.

« Ser Donall for the Maker’s sake what are you doing ?

\- Oh Lady Isolde. I apologize my Lady, I was just giving this young man some fencing advice.

\- And since when do stable boys need to know how to wield a sword? She replied with contempt. Do you intend to make him a knight Ser Donall? 

\- Well, Alistair, could you please go to the armory and store your weapons? » 

The boy knowing too well what kind of anger would fall on him when the arlessa was in this state hastened to get away, while Ser Donnall went to meet her. 

« My Lady, I know the boy is not of noble origin, but he is very gifted and eager to learn. 

\- Then enrole him in the soldiery at Denerim and good riddance! 

\- It would be a shame, my Lady.Actually, I would like to ask the Arl for permission to take him as a squire. »

The arlessa strangled herself with this thought and looked upon him with the most complete outrage. She clenched her fists and said in a voice that betrayed her restrained anger.  
« And he would be able to give it to you. And you to make him a knight and this fleabag to enter the nobility while we are it.It’s too much. Go back to your apartments Ser Donnall, I will talk to my husband.»

**Author's Note:**

> **INSPIRATIONS**
> 
> Clearly, Ymlaïs' part has been inspired by... Me ! By the insecure child I was. By how difficult is was, (and still is) for me to find and accept who I am, to face what I really want and having the courage to follow my own path and not just trying to meet the expectations of others or to do what is supposed to be _right_. I wish I could have had a friend like Tamlen when I was young. I enventually found someone like this and I've been living with him for 16 years now. So I know how precious it is for people like me to have a person who believes in you and help you to reveal your inner strengh.
> 
> As our favorite heroes reflects a part of who we are, I never imagined my warden to be a 100% alpha personnality. On the contrary, she had always been in my mind a normal girl, with self thoughts, doubts, only she would be strong enough to overcome them to do what has to be done. That is who the best heroes are to me : not people prophetically predestined to greatness but people who have the strength to make their inner light shine. Which means there’s a hero in all of us - which is good news. Some of us just need a little help from our friends to make this light shine. 
> 
> For Alistair, I wondered why Ser Donnall (the Redcliff's knight you meet at the Lothering's Chantry) was so happy to see him. They seem to know and appreciate each other. So I imagined this relationship that would show how Alistair was born a "warrior of character" but that will make him a bigger threat to Isolde. 


End file.
